Perspective Shift: Astral Express
Meanwhile, Madam Herta and her group were gathered around a massive, extremely high-definition light screen, as if watching an immersive holographic movie.
What was being broadcast live on the screen was the chaotic scene unfolding in the Space Station corridor.
When they saw Stelle smash against the glass like a swatting fly, and then slide down—
"Pfft—Hahahahahahaha!!!"
Long Night Moon was the first to lose it, her crimson eyes overflowing with tears of joy. She even dramatically pounded the armrest of the nearby sofa. "Brilliant! How does she manage to step precisely on every landmine and then repeatedly dance on it?! Does she think she's playing an otome game trying to capture a tsundere heroine?! Hahaha!"
Cyrene frowned slightly, her pink short hair swaying gently as she shook her head. A trace of pity was visible in her azure eyes: "Ms. Stelle... it seems she just... wanted to help? Although her method was a bit... too enthusiastic. Seeing her get smacked away, it's a little pitiful..."
Being kind-hearted by nature, she couldn't help but feel sympathy.
Baiheng was still lying weakly on a nearby table, looking pale. She feebly lifted her eyelids, glanced at the light screen, and weakly groaned, "Ugh... don't mention it... I still feel nauseous..."
Clearly, the "aftermath" of the immortal salted fish had not completely dissipated.
Meanwhile, Jack sat in the corner, holding a newly prepared bucket of instant noodles emitting a strong aroma of spicy beef, eating with intense concentration. The sound of "slurp, slurp" was exceptionally clear.
The intense conflict on the light screen seemed less appealing than the noodles in her bowl.
Only when she heard Ms. Herta curse out "idiot simpleton" did her chewing momentarily pause for half a second. Her dull golden eyes glanced at Stelle, who was clinging to Himeko's leg on the screen, before she lowered her head again, focusing on her meal, as if saying: Oh, got it, doesn't affect dinner.
Madam Herta, seated at the head of the table, maintained her elegant posture, her purplish-black eyes calmly watching the light screen.
Seeing Stelle's pathetic state and her attempts to seek refuge, Madam Herta felt little disturbance in her heart; after all, this was the result of her careful guidance.
Only upon seeing Ms. Herta looking like she was about to explode from anger did Madam Herta shake her head.
(I let it get out of hand...)
She thought silently, (I didn't expect Stelle's "execution power" and "comprehension" to be so... unique. The aggro is a bit too high now.)
Looking at Stelle's miserable appearance on the screen, Madam Herta felt a rare, almost negligible trace of "guilt."
She picked up a cup of black tea delivered by the System and took a small sip, speaking silently to Stelle on the light screen:
(You worked hard, Stelle.)
(I'll remember this "injustice.")
(Later... I will find a chance to compensate you.)
Of course, the specific form of this "compensation" and when it would be delivered was another matter entirely.
Herta Space Station · Corridor
Ms. Herta forcibly suppressed the urge to dismantle Stelle on the spot, using the most concise language possible to explain the situation to Himeko and Welt, who had arrived.
She mentioned a "mastermind" hidden in the shadows, controlling everything, and how this individual spread the utterly absurd rumor that she had an "older sister." They even utilized Stelle, this... this... Her gaze viciously scraped across Stelle, who was trying to shrink behind Himeko. Her chest heaved violently a few times, and her rich vocabulary, sufficient to describe complex cosmic phenomena, seemed instantly emptied. In the end, she could only squeeze out two words from between her teeth—the most direct words that captured her current mood:
"...And this idiot!"
Himeko was momentarily speechless after hearing the explanation.
She looked at the solemn Welt, then at Stelle, who was frightened like a quail. She felt that the development of events had completely exceeded the scope of a regular conflict, seeming more like... an extremely malicious prank aimed specifically at Ms. Herta?
Stelle seemed to draw a sliver of courage from Himeko's comfort, or perhaps her eccentric thought process had captured another piece of "key evidence."
She suddenly looked up, as if grasping a final lifeline, fumbling frantically over herself, and then pulled out the black card, whose edges shimmered with dark purple light!
"Wait! Ms. Herta! Look! This is the errand fee your sister... ah, no, that'sister' gave me! This must prove I'm not lying, right?!"
Stelle held the black card high, as if it were a sacred artifact to clear her name.
Before she could finish speaking, Ms. Herta snatched the black card away.
She didn't even bother using standard equipment; a faint glow appeared on her fingertips, and a powerful mental projection instantly enveloped the card like a scanning beam, subjecting it to the most thorough structural and energy analysis.
(Hmph, a forged credential? Or some kind of tracking beacon? Let me see your true colors...)
Just as Ms. Herta focused on analyzing the card, and the corridor fell into an eerie silence—
"Ding-dong~"
A clear, pleasant notification sound suddenly rang out from the personal tablet Asta was holding.
In this environment where a pin drop could be heard, it was strikingly abrupt.
Swish!
Everyone's gaze, including Ms. Herta, who was still furious, instinctively focused on Asta.
Asta was startled by the sudden attention, especially Ms. Herta's gaze that seemed capable of freezing souls. Her hand trembled, and she nearly dropped the tablet.
She lowered her head blankly to look at the screen, where a notification pop-up from the Space Station Financial System, marked as the highest priority, was clearly displayed.
Her eyes quickly scanned the notification content. She then secretly peeked up at Ms. Herta, whose face was as black as the bottom of a pot, swallowed, and uttered a meaningless sound: "Ah, this..."
Ms. Herta sharply noticed the unnatural expression on Asta's face.
She temporarily stopped analyzing the black card, frowned, and asked, "What?"
Asta's hand holding the tablet was trembling slightly, and she stammered, "Ms. H-Herta... Your... your private account... just had one... one hundred million credits transferred... to... to the Astral Express's public account..."
The air seemed to be sucked out of the space in that instant.
Himeko, Welt, March 7th, and even Stelle, who had just managed to stand up, all showed expressions of shock.
One hundred million credits?
For an individual, this was absolutely an astronomical sum!
Ms. Herta's mouth twitched uncontrollably. An extremely ominous premonition washed over her like ice water.
Asta hadn't finished yet. She looked at the small line of text noted at the bottom of the screen, her face growing even paler, and her voice becoming softer: "Th-There's also a message..."
"WHAT. ELSE. IS. THERE?!"
Ms. Herta's voice was practically a growl ripped from her throat.
Asta flinched in terror; how could she dare read it aloud? Her hands shaking, she offered the tablet toward Ms. Herta, as if it were a hot potato.
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